Neighborhood Tree Infestation - Ask Extension
Our neighborhood trees are dying. We are seeing two different things going on with our trees.
1. Over 20 of the trees have little white things stick...
Knowledgebase
Neighborhood Tree Infestation #875520
Asked July 01, 2024, 2:32 PM EDT
Our neighborhood trees are dying. We are seeing two different things going on with our trees.
1. Over 20 of the trees have little white things sticking up off the leaves.
We are hoping you can identify what this is and how/if it can be treated.
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Becky,
The projections on the leaves are spindle galls. They do no harm to the tree. They are the trees reaction to tiny insects which have planted eggs on the leaf.
Here is more on leaf galls-
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-60
The tree is buried too deeply in mulch and perhaps in the soil itself. Trees live longer when their root flare, also known as a root collar, are exposed and able to exchange oxygen. I recommend you or a certified arborist remove all the mulch and, if necessary, some soil, to expose the root collar. Here is more on the root collar—https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-planted-too-deeply/
Find a certified arborist here by zip code—
http://www.treesaregood.org
Grade the soil outwards from the trunk and up to the soil level of the surrounding grass. The grass-free area around the trunk should extend out to the farthest reaching branch, or at least 3-4 feet. Top dress the bare soil with 2-3 inches of mulch. Do not let any mulch touch the bark of the trunk, so as not to keep the bark wet and encourage rot, pests, diseases.
Your picture does show some limb dieback in the crown.
https://www.umass.edu/urbantree/factsheets/23commonmapleproblems.html
This dieback could be from a number of things: drought stress( including drought effects from several years ago), girdling roots, flooding, wind damage are some of the common issues.
A certified arborist can examine the roots for girdling and possibly correct them if they are not too large. Correcting girdling roots on a large tree can compromise the integrity of the tree, so this should be done by a certified arborist.
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/all-about-stem-girdling-roots
He/she can diagnose what is causing the dieback in the crown, and provide you wih a plant health care plan going forward.
The projections on the leaves are spindle galls. They do no harm to the tree. They are the trees reaction to tiny insects which have planted eggs on the leaf.
Here is more on leaf galls-
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-60
The tree is buried too deeply in mulch and perhaps in the soil itself. Trees live longer when their root flare, also known as a root collar, are exposed and able to exchange oxygen. I recommend you or a certified arborist remove all the mulch and, if necessary, some soil, to expose the root collar. Here is more on the root collar—https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-planted-too-deeply/
Find a certified arborist here by zip code—
http://www.treesaregood.org
Grade the soil outwards from the trunk and up to the soil level of the surrounding grass. The grass-free area around the trunk should extend out to the farthest reaching branch, or at least 3-4 feet. Top dress the bare soil with 2-3 inches of mulch. Do not let any mulch touch the bark of the trunk, so as not to keep the bark wet and encourage rot, pests, diseases.
Your picture does show some limb dieback in the crown.
https://www.umass.edu/urbantree/factsheets/23commonmapleproblems.html
This dieback could be from a number of things: drought stress( including drought effects from several years ago), girdling roots, flooding, wind damage are some of the common issues.
A certified arborist can examine the roots for girdling and possibly correct them if they are not too large. Correcting girdling roots on a large tree can compromise the integrity of the tree, so this should be done by a certified arborist.
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/all-about-stem-girdling-roots
He/she can diagnose what is causing the dieback in the crown, and provide you wih a plant health care plan going forward.
Thank you so much for your expertise in answering our questions. I am excited to share this information with our association board.
Glad to be of help!
